Launching and landing device.



H. 1. SMILEY'.

LAUNCHING AND LANDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILI-:D FEB. 29. 191s.

1,236,498.. Patented Aug. 14,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I l i I INVENTOR ATTORNEY r1.1. SMILEY. I

LAUNCHING AND LANDING DEVICE.

APPLICATIQN FILED PEB. 29. 1916.

Patented ug. 14, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

"f. f v

ATTORNEY HOWARD J. SMILEY, OF CANTON, OHIO.

LAUNCHING AND LANDING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 14;*1917,

Application filed February 29, 1916. Serial No. 81,241.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HOWARD J'. SMILEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Canton, in the county of `Stark and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Launching and LandingDevices,l of-which the following is a `the preferred embodiment of myinvention,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a device constructed inY accordancewith the inven' tion;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2 2 o f Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective of one of the sliding blocks;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail perspective of one of the wheelsupporting shafts.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates the side bars ofD asuitable frame structure which may be either a portion of the flyingmachine structure proper or may be a portion of an independent frame forf attachment to the flying machine structure.

At any rate, a plurality of bars 1 are provided whichy are arranged inspaced parallel relationA and are connected by braces 2.

4Arranged below the frame vbars 1 and intermediate the same are aplurality of longitudinally spaced alined bars 3 and 5 which areconnected and supported by the frame bars 1 by means of braces 4. Asingle relatively elongated bar 3 is provided intermediate therelatively short end bars 5, a space of any suitable width beingprovlded be- -tween theV bars 3 and 5, as is illustrated to advantage inFig. 1 of the drawings, and

the bars are arranged in alinement, as'

shown. y

Above the spaces between the bars 3 and 5 and arranged in horizontalalinement parallel with the bars 3 and 5 are cross-bars 6 of a length toextend slightly over the adjacent inner ends of the bars 3 and 5.Verti-` cally arranged rods 7 have their upper ends journaled in thebars 6 and their lower ends secured rigidly in any suitable manner tothe bars 3 and 5, thereby providing increased strengthening means forthe device.

Rectangularly shaped blocks 8 are provided which have formed thereinopenings 9 of'a size to receive the ends of shafts 10 upon which thesupporting elements, herein shown as wheels 11 are freely rotatable. Theshafts 10 are provided adjacent their endswith transverse openings 12which are adapted to aline with openings 13 in the blocks 8 which extendat right angles to the openings 9, when the shafts are arranged Withinthe openings 9, as is illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The alinedopenings 12 and 13 of the shafts and blocks respectively are adapted toreceive the -.ve1- tical rods 7 so that the shafts 10 are verticallymovable ulpon the rods, and at the same time are loc ed against removalfrom the blocks and held against rotation.

Expansively acting helical springs 14 are coiled about the r`ds 7 andhave one end abutting the bars 6 and the other end abutting the blocks 8exerting a tension to normally hold the blocks in engagement with thebars 3 and 5. y

Suitable brackets or .bearings 15 are secured to and depend from thebars', and

. these brackets have journaled therebetween concaved rollers 16 whichare mounted for free rotation, the rollers being disposed directly abovethe wheels 11, as is shown.

Upon landing of a flying machine equipped with a device as justdescribed, the wheels 11 engaging with the ground, and the weight of themachine bearing upon the frame will causethe blocks 8 together with theshafts l0 and wheels 11 to be moved upwardly upon the rod 7 against theaction of thei yieldable springs 14, the springs serving to take up theshock which would otherwise occur, as will be understood. When themachine strikes the ground with great force it will be apparent thatrings of a tension to take up shocks and Jars under ordinary conditionsand to be most efcient under all ordinary conditions, would be ofinsufficient strengthhto entirely take up all lshocirsfin such aninstances.;.lllhpreforertheprovision of the rollers' 16 prvidtop meansto be with the ground.

l derstood and while described onespecific embodiment of myinlcomprising a frame, `porting elements revoluble on their own axesengaged by the wheels in such cases, and by making these rollersrotatable Jfriction is avoided between the wheels and the frame as thesame are rotated upon engagement From the foregoing description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings it is thought thatthcconstruction and operation o-the yimproved shock absorbing device forying machine will be clearly un- I have herein shown and to be limitedexcept the claims may imvention l do not wish for. such limitations asport.

1. A Vdevice oi' the character described vertically movable supcarriedby said trame, and rotatable means on thc frame to directly engage thesupporting elements and limit their vertical movement but permitrotation thereof.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a frame, supportingelements including ground wheels carried thereby, said supportingelements being bodily movable in a fixed plane, mounted on said frame todirectly engage the periphery of the wheels of said supporting elementand limit movement thereof beyond a pre-determined point in. onedirection in such fixed plane. y `3. A device of the character describedcomprising in combination with the frame structure 'of a flying machine,rods carried thereby, Asupporting elements including ground wheelscarried by and longitudinally .rm'oiv'able upon said rods, resilientmeans engaging said supporting elements and tending to force them totheir limit of movement in one direction, means to limit any such.movement'of the supporting elements upon Copies ci this patent may beohtaine for ily movement in one thereby,

and rotating means ve cents each, by addressingy the Washington, D. 0.

said rods, and means directly engaging the ground wheels at .their limitof movement in the opposite direction,

4. A4 device of the character described comprising a frame, supportingelements including ground wheels carried by said frame, said supportingelements being bodmovable in a fixed "plane and rolling abutmentsjournaled in said plane to engage the peripheries of the wheels andlimit their direction in said plane beyond a pre-determined point. V

5. A device of the character described comprising, in combination withthe frame structure of a lying machine, rods carried blocks, shaftsextending through said shafts being provided with transverse openings,'said blocks having openings formed therein, said rods being adapted toextend through the alined openings in the shafts and blocks, andsupporting elements loosely mounted on 'said shafts.v

6. A device of the character described comprising a frame, rods carriedthereby, supporting elements yieldably mounted upon said rods, androllers carried by said frame to be engaged by the supporting elements.

7 A. device of the character described comprising, in combination withthe 'frame structure oit a flying machine, vertically disposed rodsrigidly carried thereby, blocks slidably: mounted upon said rods, shaftsjournalediin said blocks, Wheels loose on said shafts, expansivelyacting springs carried by said rods and engaging said blocksand rollerscarried by the frame.

said blocks,

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature Witnesses: IRA BAcKnnrismu,TUNIS V. NORTH.

Commissioner of Patents,

